Tire-protector.



S. ra D A. HUFFMAN.

TIHE PRGTEGTOR. l APYLIUATIOH fum 1320.18, 1911.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

'7 mvENTon'a SILAS S. HUFFMAN ANI) EUR A. HUFFEN, GEF YOUNGSTVJN, 4751).

TI-RE-PBUTEGTBS...

Application filed December 18, 191i.

To aU whom i may concern Be it known that We, SILAs S. HUFFMAN and DUR A. HUFFMAN, residents of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Tire-Protectors, of rwhich the following is a full, clear,'and-eXactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a side view of a vehicle wheelA having a-protcctor applied thereto embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the protector, partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a section on the line lll-lll ot Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modification, Fig. is a detail v iew showinganother modication.

Our invention has relation to protectors for. vehicle tires; and more particularly to protectors for the tires of heavy vehicles, such as automoble trucks.' lt is well known to users of these trucks thatI the tires rapidly cut and wear in the severe service to which they are subjected in use: andA this difficulty is becoming so great in the4 practical useot these trucks that there is an irnperativc demand for van etlicient protector which can be readily applied; which Will be inexpensive; which "will e'tfectually protect the tire; and which will be of amature to give proper traction. Such a i'irotector our invention is designed to provide. u i' The nature ot our invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which we have shown two preferred forms thereof, andwhich will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement .ot the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention as'deined in the appended claims.

ln these drawings, the numeral Q designates a. vehicle wheel which, in the form shown in l., 2 and 3, carries two elastic tires 53 seated side by side upon the rim 4 in -the usual manner.

Our improved protectm' comprises a series of spaced segmental tread' blocks 5 which are strung on two parallel flexible cables or wiresI (i, theI whole forn'iing an armor adaptedto vdctachably surround the tires 3. Each ol the tread segments is preferably of the form shown, being arranged to l Speciicationof Letters Patent.

Tatented Ang.. t9. MM 5t. serial no. seater.'

extend transversely of the tread surfaces'of the tires 3 with the side lipsor flanges 7 embracing the outer edge portions of the respective tires, and also preferably having a separating lip or rib@ extending inwardly between the two tires. lThese segments may be co-mposed-'ofany suitable material, either metal, or wood faced with metal, and may* be provided with a roughened or ribbed sur-` t'ace in order to give greater traction and prevent sliding or shielding, as shown on two. ot the segments in Fig. '2. The segments-are held 1n the lproper spaced relation on the flexible Wires or cables 6 by means of the spacing tubes or sleeves 9. @ne end of each cable is rigidly secured to one of the segments, preferably by forming an enlargement 6a ofithe cable end and embedding it' in body 10 of labbitt metal orothermaterial which can. .hedeast or otherwise firmly' secured around such enlarged end.4 rFliese 'anchoring bodies 10 are seated in recesses l1 formed in. the segment. The other ends of the-cables are preferably formed with similar enlargements Gb embedded in similar lanchoring bodies. A bolt le isy also embedded in each ofthe anchoring bodies 13,y

these bolts extending through openings formed in the segment to which the irst named ends ot the vcables are secured, and are provided with adjusting nuts l5. To

'permitthe necessary movement of the protector in service, the tread segments between which `the anchoring bodies 13 are placed, are preferably one or both recessed, as shown at 16 in Fig. 2, in order to permit some go-and-come movement.

Fig. 4 shows the invention adapted to single tire wheels. ln this case the blocks 5a .are made correspondingly shorter than the blocks 5 Hist-described, l' emg adapted to embrace the tread portion ot the single tire 3a, and being strung upon the flexible cables 6c.

ln Fig. 5 we have shown a slightly (lider- -ent way in which one end of a cal'il'e'may be fastened. 'ln' this ligure, the end portion G'l ot the cable is threaded through a divided opening 6'* in one of the segments being bent around the dividing wall Gf 'of' said ol'iening' and held by a set-screw 6g. This manner of fastening permits slack to he readily taken up. 4

Uur intention provides a very simple and highly eiiicieht form of protector for tires of the character described. lt can be readily applied to and removed from the tires and forms a highly eilicient tread or traction surface for the Wheels.

What We claim is: Y

l. In a protector for solid tires, a plurailty of. flexible connections having strung thereon a series of transversely extending blocks 'with recesses on their inner faces to lit a solid tire, spacing pieces also strung on the flexible connections between blocks, said blocks having their peripheral tread surfaces extending beyond vthe spacing pieces, the flexible connections being of greater circumference than the solid tire, and means fo-r adjustably securing the ends of the connections after Wrapping the protector around the tire; substantially as described.

2. In a protector for solid tires,v a plurailty of flexible connections beyond the tread surface of the tire, a series of transversely extending blocks with recesses on their inner faces to it the solid tire, tubular spacing pieces also strung on the ilexible connections between said blocks, said blocks having their peripheral tread surfaces extending beyond the spacing pieces, and means for adjustably securing the ends ofthe connections to each other to maintain the protector in position on the tire; substantially as described. y

3. In a protector for solid tires, a plurality of flexibleconnections having strung thereon a series off-transversely extending blocks, each block having a plurality of recesses on its inner face arranged to receive the outer portions of a plurality of solid tires, spacing pieces also strung on the llexible connections between the blocks, said blocks .having their peripheral tread surfaces extendingbeyond the spacing pieces,

. the flexible connections being of greater circumference than the solid tire and located about centrally beyond the recesses on the inner faces of the blocks, and means for adjustably securing the ends of the connections after Wrapping the protector around the solid tire; substantially as described.

4. A protector for tires, comprising a plurality of transversely arranged blocks, flexiblecables arranged side by side and upon which'the blocks are strung, and means forspacing'the blocks, the ends of the cables having anchoring bodies secured thereto, seats for the anchoring bodies at one end of each cable formed in one of the blocks, and means for adjustably connecting the anchoring bodies at the other ends of the cables to said block, said block and the one adjacent thereto having recesses to permit'move- 3 ment of the anchoring bodies; substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

SILAS S. HUFFMAN. DUR A. HUFFMAN. 

